Joseph Lakanal

Joseph Lakanal (July 14th 1762 with Greenhouse-on-Arget - February 14th 1845 with Paris) is a French politician.

Biography

He was professor of rhetoric then of philosophy in the Fathers of the Christian Doctrines in various towns of France before adopting the Révolution. He was appointed of Ariège to the Convention, where he sat among the Montagnards, and voted the death of Louis XVI.

Member of the Committee of the State education of the Convention, Lakanal submitted a report on the Military academies, announcing that of Paris like “one of the most odious monuments raised by the despotism to pride and vanity”. It is also on his report/ratio that, on July 19th, Convention returned the relative order to the property of the authors of writings in all kinds, of the type-setters of music, the painters and draftsmen; it is him which made grant to Claude Chappe, the inventor of the Télégraphe, the title of engineer sharpened as lieutenant of the Genious and which made build the first telegraph line.

On its proposal, on November 18th, 1794, Convention decides the foundation of 24.000 elementary schools. In 1795, it made vote the organization of the Teacher training schools and a project of state education. It develops the expensive ideas to with it with the ideologists on teaching: “The analysis alone is able to recreate the understanding, and the diffusion of its method will destroy the inequality of the lights. ”

It submitted with the Convention a report/ratio on the establishment of a Public school of the alive Eastern Languages.

One owes him also the conservation of the Botanical garden, which it made reorganize under the name of national Muséum of natural history.

Re-elected to the the Council of the Five hundred, Lakanal presented the payment of foundation of an National institute, which will become soon the Institut of France, and proposed the list of the members who were to form of it the core supplemented by elections. This erudite body contained three classes: the first dealt with physical sciences and mathematics, the second of sciences morals and policies, the third of the literature and the fine arts. Lakanal was elected member of the second class of which he became secretary.

Under the Empire, it accepted the pulpit of old languages at the Central School of the street Saint-Anthony, and was attached later to the Bonaparte college like treasurer. In 1809, he became inspector of the Weights and Mesures. he prepared an edition of works of Rousseau and wrote a political treaty of economy.

To the Restoration, it left for the the United States and finishes after some peregrinations by becoming as a president of the university of Louisiana to the New-Orleans, then grower in Alabama. After the Revolution of July, it waited three years to regain Paris and again sit at the Academy of Science morals and political.

He died on February 17th, 1845, leaving his young wife and their child stripped in spite of his long career.

Quotation

Charles de Rémusat: “Appointed with National Convention, Lakanal was linked with all the thoughts of this assembly. In the middle of these stormy crises, he thought of the interests of the Letters and Sciences. He made an effort, very often in vain, to tear off with dead these men of which the knowledge and the talents illustrated their country and did not disarm it. He fought obstinately against a systematic cruelty which threatened our arts, our national monuments, our great establishments of education. ”.

See too

Internal bonds

College Lakanal

External bonds

Biographical note
Its tomb with the Father-Lachaise

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